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“Miss Kensington. Your companion?” He nodded at Briar, confusion coating his face.

“Briar Kensington,” I stated under my breath. I liked the way it rolled off of my tongue. I liked… Hold on, I knew that last name. I once knew a man with that last name. Pushing against the ground, I pulled my feet under me to stand up, and pressure against my shoulders shoved me back to the grass.

“Wherever you’re going, you can go later. You’ve got a concussion, and I need you to go to the hospital to make sure there are no further injuries,” the first responder harshly commanded.

“I need to ask her if—”

“You can ask Miss Kensington all the questions you need after you get to the hospital. Understand?”

“Fine,” I grumbled. I wasn’t happy about it, but whatever. Every cell in my bones ached to know if my suspicions were right. But clouding that desire was the one craving to hold her. All my body wanted to do was make sure she was okay. It was my responsibility to keep her safe, and I’d failed.

“Cassidy?!” A shrill voice pierced through the dull sounds of engines humming around me. A dull thumping pounded at the back of my head.

“You called my mom?” I glanced at the paramedic, recognizing the sound of the woman who called my name. He shrugged his shoulders. “Seriously, Jim. We’re the same age, why would you call her?”

“It’s a small town, Cassidy. I didn’t have to call her for her to find out.”

Groaning, I leaned back as he dabbed at a cut on my cheek. “Please tell me my dad at least came with?”

“Yes, he’s on his way down here, too,” Jim answered.

“You should be as relieved as I am; she’s not going to meddle as much with him around.” I grinned and chuckled softly. At least when my dad was around, my mom seemed to rein in a bit of her desire to be right in the thick of things. Though, I guess I couldn’t be too upset that she was about to go all Nancy Duke on everyone. If I’d found out my son was in an accident, I may turn into a bit of a bear myself. “By the way, how’s the other driver?”

Jim stopped moving and blinked at me, shock widening the features on his face. “You care about the guy who could’ve killed you? The guy that totaled your masterpiece of a truck?”

“It’s a piece of metal, Jim. I can try and fix her up; if not, I’ll start over on a new one,” I answered.

“He was drunk, Cassidy. Blew way above the legal limit. Didn’t even realize that his light was red, and is completely fine because of it,” Jim angrily huffed as two figures neared. My parents marched down the hillside as quickly as possible, their sights trained on me.

“My parents can drive Briar and I to the hospital since they’re here.” I sighed, not wanting an ambulance ride with how heavy my own frustration bubbled within me. “Glad he’s fine,” I added, gritting my teeth. My response would’ve been different if Briar had been seriously injured or worse, I knew that, but I was trying to be a better man.

For her.

“You can be pissed at him, Cassidy. He could’ve killed you both.” Jim gathered his things up and helped me stand from the ground as my parents both stopped in front of us. He wasn’t wrong, though. I was pissed at the driver, but he was a human life regardless. Accidents weren’t uncommon, and Briar was okay. That was what mattered the most.

“Yeah, I know.” I glanced at Briar. She carefully rose from her seated position on the grass and turned to look at me. “Mom, Dad,” I said, watching as Briar made her way over here but speaking to my parents standing beside me. “Mind driving us to the hospital?

“Sure thing, honey,” my mom answered as Briar walked over toward our little group. Her eyes kept with mine as she approached, as if she was latching onto me for reassurance that she was okay. That we were both really fine.

“I’ve got you, Goldie,” I whispered as soon as she stood in front of me. Her bottom lip immediately trembled, her eyes welling up with tears. And she collapsed into my body. I didn’t care that my parents were right there. I didn’t care that I was barely managing to stay on my own two feet. She was terrified and wanted me for comfort.

Wrapping my arms tightly around her, I buried my face in her hair. “I’ve got you, Goldie,” I whispered one more time. My question about her last name could wait. Everything else could wait. Later, she’d be mad at me again, upset that I worked for Weston. She’d push me away again once all of this wore off.

But until then, I’d hold her.

Chapter 21

CASSIDY

“Try and get some rest you two,” my mom gently said as we shuffled into my house. It was nearly nightfall an entire day later, and I wasn’t sure what I wanted more—sleep, or a shower to rid me of the hospital smell. My head still ached with a dull thud behind my eyes, and sleep honestly sounded easier than standing up for a shower.

Maybe a bath of all things right now wouldn’t be such a bad idea…

“Cassidy?” Briar’s gentle voice pierced through the fuzzy haze that seemed to be a constant companion of mine. This was also the first moment we’d been alone since the accident, and I wasn’t exactly sure what to say to her. My head hurt too much to really give much thought to everything swirling around us.

No longer was this a matter of keeping her safe from a man she stole a horse from. No longer was this a simple quest to find evidence that Wayde had killed her cattle and possibly staged her father’s accident. No, this had just become a whole lot more convoluted if her dad was who I thought he was.

“I’m gonna go lay down for a bit,” I muttered, closing my eyes and placing a hand against my head.